What’s Fueling the Rapid Spread of Coronavirus Through the Navajo Nation

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What’s Fueling the Rapid Spread of Coronavirus Through the Navajo Nation

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Updated: 6:11 PM CDT Apr 24, 2020

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SOLEDAD: MAJOR CITIES ARE THE FOCUS OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT COVID-19. TRIBAL LANDS APPEAR TO BE EVEN MOMO VULNERABLE. HARDEST HIT, THE NAVAJO NATION. IT STRETCHES ACROSS THRERE STATES. ARIZONA, UTAH AND NEW MEXICO. IT’S HOME TO ABOUT 175 THOUSAND PEOPLE. LACK OF ACCESS TO WATER COMBINED WITH HEALTH INEQUITIES IS FUELING THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS AMONG THE NAVAJO. I SPOKE WITH DEAN SENECA OF THE SENECA NATION. HE’S AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE EXPERT WHO SPENT NEARLY 20 YEARS AS A SENIOR HEALTH SCIENTIST FOR THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION. DEAN, THANK YOU FOR TALKING WITH ME. I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE IT. LET’S BEGIN WITH THE SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM. HOW BAD IS IT ACROSS ALL OF INDIAN COUNTRY, NOT JUST THE SENECA RIGHT NOW? DEAN: WELL. YOU KNOW, NAVAJO NATION, THE ALBUQUERQUE AREA, AREAS WITHIN ARIZONA HAVE BEEN HIT VERY, VERY HARD. I BELIEVE THERE’S CLOSE TO 1500 CASES COMBINED IN THAT AREA. WE HAVE A FEW IN THE HIGH DOUBLE DIGITS KIND OF IN THE PORTLAND AREA, I BELIEVE. AND THEN SPARSELY THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE COUNTRY, A HANDFUL IN ALASK BUT, YOU KNOW, SO WE’RE DOING PRETTY WELL. BUT GIVEN THE FACT OF ALL OF THE CONDITIONS THAT NATIVE PEOPLE ARE SUBJECTED TO REGARDING LACK OF FUNDING, HIGH HEALTH DISPARITIES, NOT HAVING THE EQUIPMENT, YOU KNOW, RELYING ON OTHERS FOR FOR ASSISTANCE AND HELP, THE SITUATION, IN MY OPINION, COULD BE MUCH WORSE. SOLEDAD: SO THE PANDEMIC, WE KNOW HASN’T HIT RURAL AREAS AS HARD AS IT’S HIT SOME BIG URBAN AREAS. ARE YOUR HOSPITALS, OUR RURAL HOSPITALS PREPARED IF THERE IS AN INFLUX WHICH IS EXPECTED? DEAN: WHAT WE ARE SEEING, NO. THEY ARE STRUGGLING WITH WHAT MANY OF THE URBAN HOSPITALS ARE SUFFERING FROM. THAT IS LACK OF PPE, LACK OF PROPER EQUIPMENT, LACK OF INFRASTRUCTURE, NOT HAVING THE QUALIFIED WORKFORCE, LACK OF ABILITY TO DO PROPER TESTING. RURAL AMERICA IS IMPACTED JUST AS MUCH AS URBAN AMERICA. WE NEED ABOUT THREE TIMES THE MONEY THAT WE GET RIGHT NOW OUR TRIBAL COMMUNITIES JUST TO HAVE EQUAL HEALTH SERVICE PER CAPITA WITH THE REST OF THE POPULATION. THAT’S HUGE. SOLEDAD: WHAT’S YOUR STATUS RIGHT NOW ON THE TESTS? ARE THERE TESTS AVAILABLE? DEAN: I’M NOT SEEING THAT. THE LAST DAY I DID SEE WAS THAT INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE WAS PURCHASING 9000 TEST KITS. NOW 9000 TEST KITS FOR 5.5 MILLION PEOPLE, CLOSE TO 6 MILLION PEOPLE, YOU COULD FIGURE THAT OUT. THAT’S NOT NEARLY ENOUGH. SOLEDAD: WHAT IS SOCIAL DISTANCING LIKE ON AN INDIAN RESERVATION? DEAN: WHEN YOU HAVE A NATIVE COMMUNITY, IT’S VERY COMMON TO HAVE THE GREAT GRANDMOTHER, THE GRANDMOTHER, THE PARENTS AND THE KIDS ALL IN ONE HOUSEHOLD. IT’S VERY CULTURAL. GIVEN THAT SITUATION, IT’S VERY, VERY HARD TO DO, SAY, SOCIAL DISTANCING, BECAUSE YOU HAVE ALL OF THESE FOLKS IN A VERY CROWDED AREA IN A HOME AND IT’S HARD TO TO STAY APART. AND THESE ARE NOT THE BEST EQUIPPED FACILITIES TO BE HOMES AND PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, PROPER LIVING CONDITIONS, YOU KNOW. SOLEDAD: FINAL QUESTION FOR YOU. THE STIMULUS, $8 BILLION TO COVER THE NEARLY 600 TRIBES ACROSS THE NATION. WHEN DO YOU GET THAT MONEY? IS THAT ENOUGH MONEY? WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO USE IT FOR? DEAN: WELL WE ASKED FOR 20 AND WE GOT EIGHT. NO IT IS NOT NEARLY ENOUGH MONEY. IT’S REALLY JUST A DROP IN THE BUCKET. AND WE NEED MUCH MORE. SOLEDAD: DEAN SENECA IS A MEMBER

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What’s Fueling the Rapid Spread of Coronavirus Through the Navajo Nation

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Updated: 6:11 PM CDT Apr 24, 2020

While much of the focus on the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S. has centered around our major cities, tribal lands could be even more vulnerable. Among them, the Navajo Nation has been hit the hardest. Home to about 175,000 people, the tribe has per capita infection rate surpassed only by New Jersey and New York. Dean Seneca is a member of the Seneca Nation and infectious disease expert who spent nearly 20 years as a senior health scientist for the CDC. Soledad O’Brien speaks with him about what is fueling the virus’ rapid spread through tribal lands.

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While much of the focus on the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S. has centered around our major cities, tribal lands could be even more vulnerable. Among them, the Navajo Nation has been hit the hardest. Home to about 175,000 people, the tribe has per capita infection rate surpassed only by New Jersey and New York. Dean Seneca is a member of the Seneca Nation and infectious disease expert who spent nearly 20 years as a senior health scientist for the CDC. Soledad O’Brien speaks with him about what is fueling the virus’ rapid spread through tribal lands.